A Cup of Coffee
by Errol's Feather
Summary: Frank is in love with Natalia and needs a way to ask her out, only it dosn't go the way he planned.


**DISCALIMER:** I don't own CSI Miami and i don't make any money from it

_**A Cup of coffee. **_

"I don't know, Horatio. The divorce is finally round now, and I'm glad I got rid of that bloodsucker of an ex of mine, but it's kind of hard to be alone all the time. Empty house for the third time in my life. I never really had any luck in love. And then I'm being confronted with beautiful women all the time. It's Miami! Half naked women running around being nice and out of my league. Even at work!"

"Frank, I…"

"Yeah, I know. At work they're not naked, but you know what I mean."

"Who are you referring to, Frank? I have noticed that you and Calleigh are getting along pretty easily lately."

Frank put his empty whiskey glass down on the bar and nodded at the bartender for a refill. He looked sideways at his best friend. "Calleigh? No, I actually meant Natalia. I mean… Calleigh's pretty, and we get along well, but…"

Horatio chuckled. "So, you have a thing for Natalia. Well, I haven't been blind for your looks. You have been looking at her like a puppy since the first time you saw her."

"What are you saying? You saying she isn't pretty?"

"She is, but…"

"But what?" Frank almost yelled, slamming his new empty glass down again. Horatio's first was barely halfway.

"But isn't she a bit out of your league."

"Meaning?

"You've seen the men she has been dating."

Frank sighed heavily knowing he was right and said, "I have and it's apparent that they are no good in my eyes, be honest what do you think she would say if I asked her out?"

Horatio was pretty sure her answer would be no, but as he didn't want to hurt his friend's feeling he said, "Well you are not a bad guy so she may say yes, but the only way to find out is to ask her."

Frank smiled brightly and said, "Good, then I'm gonna do that tomorrow."

Horatio shook his head wondering if it was really a good idea to do that, but to get his friend's mind over on something else he bought them another beer and changed the subject.

* * *

Unfortunately for Frank the couple of beers because way to many and the night became morning before he got home. So when he got to work the next morning he wasn't feeling good at all.

He slowly headed for the break room to get a coop of coffee when he heard Natalia ask, "Frank, are you OK?"

Frank startled before turning around and answering, "No, not exactly, no."

"I kind of thought so as you do not look too good, it's the divorce that is wearing you out isn't it?" she asked.

"Lately it has been yes, but I was out last night," he answered, looking down.

"Fun night out with the guys then I take it," she said before smiling a little.

"You may say that yes," he answered.

"I can imagine, had some of them over the years," she said with a sigh.

"With the guys?" he asked confused.

"No, the girls, although there has occasionally been guys present," she answered.

"Ever done so on a work night?" he asked.

"I have yes, but never let it inflict my work," she answered.

He nodded before again turning towards the coffee maker to fill up a cup. He turned to her again and asked, "Do you want a cup?"

"Don't drink the coffee here, tastes like crap, otherwise I would," she said with a giggle.

"Maybe I could offer you one someplace else some time then?" he suggested with hopeful eyes.

"Maybe, I better get back, see you later Frank and good luck with the hangover," she said with another giggle before leaving the room. Frank sighed again as he just then felt like the biggest idiot alive.

* * *

As Natalia worked in direction of Calleigh's firearms lab she wondered if she just had said halfway yes to a date with Frank. Could she really have done so? The brunette shook her head, walking into the lab.

She looked at Calleigh and said, "Hey, you got the results I asked for?"

"I do yes," the blonde said as she looked through a pile of papers before handing it over to the brunette asking, "Are you OK? You look a little lost."

"Not sure, but I think I said yes to a date or something like that with Frank?" said Natalia.

"Really, how did that happen?" asked Calleigh, a bit surprised.

"Well he asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee, but I said no as I don't like the coffee here at the lab. The he asked if he could maybe offer me a coffee somewhere else another time and I said maybe, does that count?" she asked, looking at the blonde for an answer.

"I would think it does, so how do you feel about him?" asked Calleigh, looking at her with curious eyes.

"He's a great guy and all that, I see nothing wrong in him, I just never thought of him as dating material for some reason," she said.

"I say you take him up on that coffee and if it goes well it does and if not you haven't really lost anything," said Calleigh.

"You know what I think I will, thanks, and thanks for the results," said Natalia with a smile as she started walking out of the lab, just as Horatio entered and asked, "What was she so happy about?"

"Lab results and a possible coffee date with Frank," said Calleigh and shook her head.

"Wait, does that mean she said yes?" he asked as he raised his brows at her.

"She said maybe, but she's gonna say yes," she said Calleigh with a smile.

"Really, she will?" he asked even more surprised.

"Why is that so surprising?" she asked a bit confused.

"Well he doesn't exactly look like the guys she date," he pointed out.

"Perhaps not, but looks isn't always everything," she said.

"So you are saying I am not handsome," he said and let his arms wrap around her waist.

"Don't, you know I am still not happy about you not coming back until 5 AM this morning because you were out with Frank," she said and pushed him off.

"Oh lighten up will you, it was not like I was cheating on you, I was sharing up a friend. Besides you are out with friends from time to time as well," he said, rolling his eyes.

"The difference is I have the decency to not wake you absolutely drunk cause I'm in the mood, you know I need my sleep," she said, still annoyed. Why couldn't he get that?

Normally Horatio would at this point have apologized to her, but as he now was both hangover and annoyed he said, "Fine, let us see how you like it when I don't show up at all."

Then he left her while she stood shocked behind, he never reacted like this before. She sighed as she figured he would come to his senses in the end as she bent down over her endless piles of paperwork.

* * *

Natalia tried to keep an eye out for Frank the rest of the day, but she didn't seem to see him anywhere. She sighed knowing she should have said yes not maybe, as a maybe may have been considered as bad as a no.

She looked over at Ryan, "You're a guy right?"

He looked down then back at her and said, "Last time I checked, why?"

Natalia couldn't help, but to smile as she said, "Need a guy's point of view."

"Shoot, I'm listening," he sand and smiled back.

"Say you try to ask a girl out and she says maybe, does that mean no to you?" she asked.

"Pends on the tone she says it in, but mostly it means no, yes," he answered.

Natalia sighed and looked down in the desk with a heavy sigh thinking that this time she had really blew it, but what surprised her more was that she was this upset about it.

"You blew someone off you shouldn't didn't you?" asked Ryan.

"I think so yes," she answered.

"You know, as damage control you can always try to ask him out next time you see him," Ryan suggested.

"That was the plan, but haven't seen him around all day, this is just arrrrgh," she let out and without warning she left the lab so fast that she almost run over Eric that was on his way in.

"Excuse me, what was her problem?" asked Eric confused looking at Ryan.

"Blowing up someone she wanted to date apparently," Ryan answered shaking his head while Eric just frowned at him, wondering who it could be.

* * *

Natalia got in her Hummer. Well to be honest it wasn't exacly hers, it was the crime lab's, but she and Calleigh had ended up sharing that one, so it was in a way a girly Hummer. Or at least half way, because you could see on the inside what was Calleigh's and what was hers.

Originally the cars were used by everyone, but then Natalia wanted to paint the car pink, which Horatio put his foot down and said that she could do whatever she wanted with it as long as she did not change the color.

Natalia had agreed to that, so instead she had managed to get pink seat covers, pink cover for the steering wheel, a pink fluffy ball on the rearview mirror and pink pillows in the back. Calleigh had rolled her eyes at this and said that as the car was halfway hers she should at least add something to it. Which ended up in a gun logo on the dashboard, CD's with country music, and a little bear in the back. Natalia never asked why, but it stayed.

Either way Natalia was now driving the girly Hummer towards the police station hoping that she might find Frank there, not knowing what to say or how to act. She looked nervously ahead as she put on one of the CD's that was in the car to not think.

* * *

Frank on the other hand was at his desk, he had been there all day as he figured that was safer than to be at the crime lab where Natalia was. He didn't want to be shot down again. Was he really that bad?

OK so he was he little chubby and maybe not the handsomest man in the world, but still.

He sighed looking at his screen with empty eyes. The only thing that could seem to occupy his mind was Natalia. He really did like her, her chocolate colored eyes, her golden skin, her sweet giggles, her sexy, red lips, the way she dressed, always so classy, the way she walked, how she talked. In short everything about her.

He opened another case file and started to read when he suddenly heard Natalia's voice say, "Frank, do you have a moment?"

He looked at her with surprised eyes, answering, "I do yes, please sit down."

He hinted to the chair opposite her and she sat down. She looked at him with insecure eyes. It seemed to her that she had never really seen him before, at least not the same way as now.

She had never before that moment seen how blue his eyes were, how calm and loving they looked. Natalia felt she could get lost in them and for some reason her words seemed lost.

"Natalia…?" Franks questioned.

"I'm sorry, I…just wondered if you would like to have a cup of coffee with me?" she asked shyly, looking down.

"I would love that, you mean now or…?" he asked, as his eyes lit up.

"I have time, my car or yours?" she asked.

"Yours," he answered.

"I do hope you don't mind it being a bit girly," she said and looked down again.

"No, not at all, after you," he said, got up and made a gesture. She smiled again and followed him.

* * *

Natalia and Frank ended up having a great time. It seemed they had more in common than they first though. She ended up being back at the lab much later than first planned, but Calleigh had never seen her that happy before so she didn't regret covering for her.

When she later asked if it had went well, Natalia simply said it was the best cup of coffee she ever had and she hoped to have a lot more in the time to come.

Calleigh just smiled as she thought it was cute, in fact so cute that she later that day gave Horatio a piece offering in form of a cup of coffee.

* * *

Feedback always welcome and very much appriciated :o)


End file.
